Those clusters of blue berries on a cedar tree - best to pick late fall early winter depending on climate.

I often double this and.or ok to freeze or eat for a meal or two a few days later when all flavors blends and merges better anyways.

2lbs venison cubes (dark browned seared preferred but not fully necessary. To brown, light coating of oil olive, garlic, pepper, paprika, 1 tbs Worcestershire - wait til starting to smoke, flip, smoke, flip)If tough meat, crock pot for about 5 hours on low, along with your root vegetables. Key is to try and time the cooking on all, from making the meat "stew tender", to to all the hardy root vegetables being chewably cooked.

4 parsnips, cut diagonally in good size slices3 carrots, cut the same way2 turnips, medium size, slice away the edge (or not if like it rough), cut into 3/4" cubes 3 small red potatoes, cut 3"/4 to 1" in size(these with the meat would go into the crock pot just to get a head start, I do low for about 4-5hrs. Tender meat don't add)

Move to stove top in a large sauce pan, or add once root veggies are half way cookedAdd:3 cups of celery, bite size pieces3 med. size yellow onions, cut in half and then in 1/6ths3 tablespoon juniper berries* (see directions below)2 tablespoon dried rosemary, 3 tbs if fresh1 tbs of garlic powder1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce4-6 ounces of white flower3 oz sunflower or olive oil6 cups of water, add more if too thick, but meant to be semi-soft, but hardyStove top cook, low simmer stirring often, for 1-2 hours at most

Juniper berries.Find the bluish purple ones from the female Cedar tree, peek always best but late is fine too. Dry, slow long dry by a wood stove or low heat 100 degree coal stove with cast iron. A few months to dry in a semi-warm area would work too. I leave whole, put in spice jar once dried, and just prior to use, put between two paper plates and using a meat hammer, crush the berries. Berries are best eaten broken up, but can be eaten whole which is more hard on teeth and the flavor not fully released in to the stew. Juniper berries is a really great taste for any red meats and is exceptional with venison as the native American Indians knew. The Rosemary and Juniper compliments each other well. I'll be experimenting with more Juniper berries, maybe even fish? One can find lamb recipes calling for the Juniper berry as well. Enjoy.

Last edited by k-villa on Wed Nov 29, 2017 8:34 am, edited 2 times in total.